Improvement in mail-bags



E. H. PARKER.

v MAIL BAG. N, 188,4 o3 Patented March 13, 1877.

llllIII jwervor. IWzkWParker N. PUERS. PNQTD-LITHUGRAPHER, WASHINGTON I) c.

UNIT D STATES PATENT OF ICE,

ELIPHALET H. PARKER, OF BUOKSPORT, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MAIL-BAGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 18$,4d3, dated March 13,1877; application filed January 3, 1877.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, E. H. PARKER, of the town of Bucksport, Hancock county, in the State of Maine, have invented the Oombina tion of the Mouth-Piece and Lock of a Mail- Bag, of which the following is a specification: My inventionconsists of the mouth piece'of mail-bags, with or without lock, the same being'hereafter more fully described, the obiect of which is tofacilitate the opening, closing, locking, and fillingwith packages and turning out the contents, including additional strength and durability over any other now in use.

This invention relates to certain improvements'in that class of mail bags or pouches so constructed that, when opened or the mouth distended, it will be retained in such position, while, when locked, the letters or other mat ter aresecurely protected against abstraction. ,The invention consists, in combination with a mail-bag, of a frame composed of hinged or jointed sections, each of which is extended or prolonged, one extension being provided with a staple and the otherwith a slot, the construction and operation of the parts being more fully hereinafter described invdetail.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a mail bag or pouch'with my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig, 3, a plan view of the metallic frame when distended; Fig. 4, a plan view of the same when closed and locked, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the frame when closed.

Referring to the drawings, Arepresents a mail bag or pouch of leather, canvas, or other suitable material, to the upper edge or mouth of whichare securely attached, by means of rivets or otherwise, the sections'B B 0 0, comed to each other, as at b. The sections B B are each extended or prolonged, as seen in the drawings, one of which extensions is provided with a staple, 0, and the other with a slot, 01,

the sections 0 C also being provided with similar slots at, for the purpose to be hereinafter described. E E are two rings, secured to the sections B B, by which the frame may be-pulled open or distended. The section which carries the staple is cut away at its prolonged portion, as-seen at 6, so that it will fit snugly up against one of the sections 0.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoin The lock having been unlocked and taken from the staple, the rings on the sections are grasped, and, by pulling them' in different directions, the frame will .be distended, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, assuming a square or other approximate shape, and will be retained in this position as long as desired. The, upper edge or mouth of the bag, being'securely attached to the frame, will assume a corresponding shape, thus allowing the mail-matter to be properly inserted and packed in the bag.

To close the bag, it is only necessary to push the parts together that had beendistended, the staple on theend of the section passing through the slots in the other section, and the whole secured together by a padlock, or otherwise. The bent-over portions of the'sections, overlapping each other, form a tight and secure joint.

I have shown the frame as being composed offour sections, but it is evident that more may be used, if desired.

- In Fig. 5is shown a metallic plate attached to the frame, said plate being recessed on its under side, and provided with a central aperture, so that a tag maybe inserted between the plate and the frame, Which mayhave upon it the destination of the bag. The tag is.

prevented from being removed, when the bag is locked, by the staple and lock; i

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, in a mailbag or pouch, of i 

